Shang-Chi Shatters Labor Day Weekend Box Office
Just last week, we commented how summer 2021 has been hard for blockbusters. Just two years ago, movies like Free Guy, Jungle Cruise, Space Jam: A New Legacy, and The Suicide Squad would have been surefire hits. But in the age of Covid, they won’t even cover their production costs.
And then came Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings to close off the summer season with a bang. Marvel’s latest superhero movie earned $75,4 million in its inaugural weekend. For comparison, the only other films in the past two months that managed to pull these kinds of numbers in their opening weekends were Black Widow ($80,4 million) and F9: The Fast Saga (a bit over $70 million). But that’s not all! According to the Box Office Mojo, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings shattered the record for the Labor Day weekend box office haul, previously held by Rob Zombie’s 2007’s horror film Halloween ($30,6 million).
The rest of the list for the highest-grossing movies of the weekend is similar to the last week. Nia DaCosta’s horror film Candyman is now in second place with $10,3 million. Since it is a relatively low-budget film ($25 million), it is on its way to recuperate production costs. In third place is the action sci-fi comedy Free Guy featuring Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) and Jodie Comer (Killing Eve), with $8,9 million. Disney’s Jungle Cruise is coming in fourth, with a bit over $4 million. Finally, in fifth place at the last weekend’s box office is the animated children’s adventure film PAW Patrol: The Movie, with $4 million.).
Owen Wilson to Enter Disney’s Haunted Mansion
Owen Wilson is joining the growing cast of Disney’s Haunted Mansion remake, says GeekTyrant. Wilson will explore the titular mansion – Or maybe play one of its undead inhabitants? – along with previously announced LaKeith Stanfield (Get Out, Knives Out) and Tiffany Haddish (Keanu, Like a Boss). Justin Simien (Bad Hair, Dear White People) is directing the film with a script by Katie Dippold (Ghostbusters, The Heat).
We last saw Wilson as Agent Mobius in Loki on Disney Plus. But Wilson has a lengthy career that includes both comedic (Wedding Crashers) and dramatic roles (he frequently appears in Wes Anderson’s films). In addition, he starred in Jan de Bont’s 1999 remake of The Haunting that also revolves around a cursed manor. Hopefully, this time he won’t get decapitated by a gigantic chimney flue.
Haunted Mansion is a popular Disneyland theme park ride that opened in 1969. In 2003, Disney released a film inspired by the ride, starring Eddie Murphy (Dolemite Is My Name) as a realtor stuck with his family inside the haunted house full of ghosts. The supporting cast included Terence Stamp (Last Night in Soho), Marsha Thomason (White Collar), and Jennifer Tilly (Bride of Chucky).
Dan Harmon Reveals the Cast of Krapopolis
AVClub reports Dan Harmon (Community, Rick and Morty, Computerman, Heat Vision and Jack) just announced the voice cast of his new adult animated series Krapopolis. The series is set in ancient Greece and revolves around an epically dysfunctional family trying to run the titular city without murdering each other.
It’s a high concept, but the voice cast seems to be up to the challenge. Richard Ayoade (Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace) will voice Tyrannis, the benevolent King of Krapopolis. His mother Deliria (voiced by Hannah Waddingham – Ted Lasso) is a goddess of self-destruction. Tyrannis’ father Shlub is a mantitaur (half-centaur, half-manticore) voiced by yet another Darkplace alumni, Matt Berry. Pam Murphy (TV series Get Shorty) will voice Tyrannis’ half-sister Stupendous, daughter of Deliria and a cyclops. Finally, the stand-up comedian and podcaster Duncan Trussell (The Midnight Gospel) will lend his voice to Tyrannis’ half-brother Hippocampus. Jordan Young (Bojack Horseman, Drawn Together) will serve as a showrunner.
Krapopolis will premiere on Fox sometime in 2022.
